Carpet with self-twisted loop pile and methods for making the same

ABSTRACT

Carpet with self-twisted loop piles that has an appearance and aesthetics similar to cut pile construction with improved durability and methods for making the same are provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/516,141, filed Jun. 7, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to carpet with single yarn self-twisted loop piles that has an appearance and aesthetics similar to cut pile construction with improved durability and methods for making the same.

BACKGROUND

Most residential carpets are made by either a cut pile construction or cut and loop pile construction.

To make a standard tufted carpet, two or more bulked continuous filament (BCF) yarns are twisted together and then heat set to fix the twist in yarn bundle. Twisted and heat set yarn is then stitched through a pre-constructed backing to form a loop or a tuft. For cut pile carpet, the loop is cut on a tufting machine, thereby generating two tufts or pile for each loop. Loops can be cut in different patterns and styles creating the possibility of making carpets with both cut and loop pile with various designs.

Cut pile carpets have a soft hand and a unique appearance and aesthetics, but lack durability due to untwisting of tufts caused by foot traffic. While loop pile carpets are more durable, they have a harsh hand and very different look from cut pile carpets.

Thus, a carpet that has hand, appearance and aesthetics similar to cut pile but which does not exhibit untwisting of tufts is needed.

Published U.S. Patent Application No. US 2003/0165656A1 discloses a carpet fiber yarn comprising carpet fiber and binder fiber wherein the yarn is subjected to singeing to remove protruding fiber ends and heat to sufficiently melt the binder fiber.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,624A discloses a synthetic yarn made from a blend of base fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester nylon 6 and nylon 66 and 1-12 weight percent of a heat activated binder fiber having a melting point within the range of 165° C.-190° C.

However, carpets containing binder fibers exhibit very harsh hand and have not been commercially successful.

Attempts have been made to use higher twist during yarn cabling and higher temperature during heat setting or different heat setting methods to improve carpet durability. However, these changes do not stop tufts from untwisting completely and, therefore, show only marginal improvement in durability.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,686 discloses a method for forming a textured loop pile rug or carpet using torque created by twisting following by cabling and forming of a cable twist of multiple yarns.

China Patent application No. CN1262346 discloses a device for preventing twisted yarn from crinkling.

There is a continuing need for more effective methods for durable carpet manufacture.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a carpet that has hand, appearance and aesthetics similar to a cut pile carpet but which exhibits much improved durability and texture retention as compared to standard cut pile carpet. The carpet of the present disclosure comprises single yarn twisted at a higher twist level than typically used which is stitched through a pre-constructed woven or nonwoven fabric backing to form a loop or a tuft. Loop pile gets automatically twisted due to live twist in single yarn.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single yarn is twisted in the range of 1 to 15 turns per inch (tpi). In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single yarn is twisted in the range of 3 to 12 tpi. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single yarn is twisted in the range of 5 to 10 tpi.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single yarn is directly tufted into carpet without a yarn heat setting step.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for tufting a twisted single yarn without snarling. Single yarn with high twist level has natural tendency to form snarl which can cause machine stop and show as a defect in the carpet.

In one nonlimiting embodiment of this method, yarn tension is controlled as the yarn unwinds from the package on the creel via a tension band around the package. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band is set so that yarn tension coming off the package is in the range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band is set so that yarn tension coming off the package is in the range of 0.01 grams per denier to 0.1 grams per denier.

In one nonlimiting embodiment of this method, yarn tension as it is coming off the package is controlled by using a sleeve or bag around the package. In one nonlimiting embodiment, snarls are removed by subjecting the yarn right after unwinding from the package to tension in the range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier, more preferably, in the range of 0.01 grams per denier to 0.1 grams per denier.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, the method further comprises controlling yarn tension throughout the tufting process to prevent re-formation of snarls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are representations of embodiments of the present disclosure inclusive of a self twisted loop pile carpet sample (FIG. 1A) and a single loop (FIG. 1B) from the carpet.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are representations of embodiments of a standard cut pile carpet sample (FIG. 2A) and a single tuft (FIG. 2B) from the carpet.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an apparatus under in the present disclosure inclusive of a tension band around the yarn feed package on a tufting creel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the preferred methods and materials are now described.

All publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior disclosure. Further, the dates of publication provided could be different from the actual publication dates that may need to be independently confirmed.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features that may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order that is logically possible.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will employ, unless otherwise indicated, techniques of chemistry, fabrics, textiles, and the like, which are within the skill of the art. Such techniques are fully explained in the literature.

Before the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail, it is to be understood that, unless otherwise indicated, the present disclosure is not limited to particular materials, reagents, reaction materials, manufacturing processes, or the like, as such can vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It is also possible in the present disclosure that steps can be executed in different sequence where this is logically possible.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a support” includes a plurality of supports. In this specification and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms that shall be defined to have the following meanings unless a contrary intention is apparent.

The present disclosure relates to carpet that has hand, appearance and aesthetics similar to a cut pile carpet but which exhibits much improved durability and texture retention as compared to standard cut pile carpet. The present disclosure also relates to methods for producing yarns and carpet.

Synthetic yarns used in the manufacture of soft floor coverings (i.e. tufted rugs and carpets) are very frequently formed from two or more individual yarns, and these individual yarns are themselves formed from many constituent filaments. Typically, two or more yarns are twisted or “cabled” together, to form plied yarns having various properties useful in the construction of soft floor coverings See, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,686. A standard cabling process involves physically rotating one yarn, fed from a creel, around a second yarn fed from a “bucket”, both yarns being under carefully controlled tension, and then winding up the combined yarns in the form of a twisted (piled or cabled) yarn. Once the twisted yarn is produced, it is wound onto a tube and directed into a heat-set apparatus to form a heat-set twisted yarn.

The carpet of the present disclosure comprises single yarn twisted at a higher twist level than is typically used. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the twist level of the single yarn ranges from 1 to 15 turns per inch (tpi). In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single yarn is twisted in the range of 3 to 12 tpi. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the twist level of the single yarn ranges from 5 to 10 tpi.

Yarn twisting in accordance with the present disclosure is performed with single yarn and without cabling or cable twist.

Yarns comprising any synthetic yarn material, any natural fiber yarn material and/or combinations thereof can be used in the carpet of the present disclosure. Nonlimiting examples include yarns comprising polyesters, nylons and/or olefins, such as polypropylene and any combinations thereof. Further, yarns of all fiber cross-sections and deniers per filament can be used. Examples of fiber cross-sections capable of being created include triangular (or “delta”), trilobal, round, tetragonal, pentagonal, octagonal, and irregular shapes. In each case, the fiber can be solid, or can have one or more voids running along the length of the filament. In one nonlimiting embodiment, yarn with a denier ranging from 100 to 10000 can be used. In one nonlimiting embodiment, yarn with a denier ranging from 400 to 3000 can be used. In one nonlimiting embodiment, yarn with a denier ranging from 600 to 2000 can be used.

In one nonlimiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the single twisted yarn can be directly tufted into carpet without a yarn heat setting step.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, the single twisted yarn is directly tufted into carpet by stitching through a pre-constructed woven or nonwoven fabric backing to form a loop or a tuft. Loop pile becomes self-twisted due to live twist.

The present disclosure further provides a method for tufting of twisted single yarn. Twisted single yarn has very lively twist and a strong tendency to snarl. In the present disclosure, a method is provided for tufting twisted single yarn without snarling.

In one nonlimiting embodiment of this method, yarn tension is controlled as the yarn unwinds from the package on the creel via a tensioning device such as a tension band as depicted in FIG. 3 around the package. In this nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band comprises an elastic or self-retracting cord which can be wrapped around the yarn package to keep a certain minimum tension and prevent snarling in the yarn as it unwinds. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band wraps at least once around the yarn package, preferably on the front end. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band is held in place by attaching it to creel. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band is set so that yarn tension coming off the package is in the range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the tension band is set so that yarn tension coming off the package is in the range of 0.01 grams per denier to 0.1 grams per denier.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, yarn tension as it is coming off the package is controlled by using a sleeve or bag around the package.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, snarls are removed by subjecting the yarn right after unwinding from the package to tension in the range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier, more preferably, in the range of 0.01 grams per denier to 0.1 grams per denier. Desired yarn tension can be achieved by using commercially available hysteresis or other types of tensioner.

In one nonlimiting embodiment, the method further comprises maintaining yarn tension throughout the tufting process to avoid re-formation of snarls.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are representations of embodiments of the present disclosure comprising self twisted loop pile (FIG. 1A) and a single tuft (FIG. 1B) carpet. As shown in FIG. 1B, the loop 20 in self-twisted loop pile 15 is formed automatically during tufting due to the lively nature of twist in single yarn 25. Self-twisted loop pile formed in this way has hand, appearance and aesthetics similar to cut pile without having the drawback of untwisting of a single cut pile as shown in FIG. 2B. As shown in FIG. 1A, the carpet 10 of the present disclosure has exceptional durability and texture retention as compared to the cut pile carpet depicted in FIG. 2A.

The following examples and test methods are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to perform the methods and use the compositions and compounds disclosed and claimed herein. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in ° C., and pressure is in atmospheres. Standard temperature and pressure are defined as 25° C. and 1 atmosphere.

Test Methods

Durability and Texture Retention: Carpet durability was evaluated based on procedures described in the Vetterman Drum Texture Retention Test (ASTM D5417-93). The 5K Rating means the samples are subjected to a 5,000 cycles test according to ASTM D5417-93.

EXAMPLES

The following Examples demonstrate the present disclosure and its capability for use. The disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various apparent respects, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the Examples are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and non-limiting.

Example 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Carpet

A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) BCF yarn with a nominal 1170 denier, 130 filaments and trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile carpet (herein referred to as “PET Control Carpet”) and carpet of the present disclosure (herein referred to as “PET Carpet”). The PET Control Carpet was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 turns per inch (tpi), heat setting the twisted yarn in Superba at 290° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.625″. PET Carpet of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 8.9 tpi and then tufting it into 1/16^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.625″. Twisted single yarn was wrapped (2.5 wraps) around 2″ inch tension bar having helical groove with pitch of ½″, depth of ¼″, and width of 5/16″ to provide enough tension to remove snarls from the yarn. Carpets were tested using the above mentioned standard test method for durability. Durability results are shown in Table 1. PET Carpet of the present disclosure had 0.9 unit improvement in the texture retention rating over the standard cut pile carpet. Hand, aesthetics and appearance of the PET Carpet of the present disclosure were similar to those of standard cut pile carpet.

Example 2: Nylon 66 Carpet

Nylon 66 BCF yarn with a nominal 997 denier, 115 filaments and a trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile carpet (herein referred to as “nylon 66 Control Carpet-1”) and carpet of the present disclosure (herein referred to as “nylon 66 Carpet-1”). The nylon 66 Control Carpet-1 was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 tpi, heat setting twisted yarn in Superba at 265° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.625″. Nylon 66 Carpet-1 of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 8.9 tpi and then tufting it into 1/16^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.625″. Twisted single yarn was wrapped (2.5 wraps) around 2″ inch tension bar having helical groove with pitch of ½″, depth of ¼″, and width of 5/16″ to provide enough tension to remove snarls from the yarn. Carpets were tested using the above mentioned standard test method for durability. Durability results are shown in Table 1. Nylon 66 Carpet-1 of the present disclosure had one unit improvement in texture retention rating over the standard cut pile carpet. Hand, aesthetics and appearance of the nylon 66 Carpet-1 of the present disclosure were similar to those of standard cut pile carpet.

Example 3: Nylon 66 Carpet

Nylon 66 BCF yarn with a nominal 800 denier, 80 filaments and a trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile carpet (herein referred to as “nylon 66 Control Carpet-2”) and carpet of the present disclosure (herein referred to as “nylon 66 Carpet-2”). The nylon 66 Control Carpet-2 was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 tpi, heat setting twisted yarn in Superba at 265° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.625″. Nylon 66 Carpet-2 of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 7.5 tpi and then tufting it into 1/16^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.625″. A plastic bag was placed around the package leaving an opening on the front for yarn exit. A hysteresis type tensioner was used to provide enough tension to remove snarls from the yarn. Carpets were tested using the above mentioned standard test method for durability. Durability results are shown in Table 1. Nylon 66 Carpet-2 of the present disclosure had 1.3 unit improvement in texture retention rating over the standard cut pile carpet. Hand, aesthetics and appearance of the nylon 66 Carpet-2 of the present disclosure were similar to those of standard cut pile carpet.

TABLE 1 Carpet Durability Results Vetterman Texture Drum Texture Retention Retention Test Improvement Ex. (ASTM D5417-93) - over No. Description 5K rating Control 1 PET Control Carpet 3.1 (control) PET Carpet 4.0 0.9 2 Nylon 66 Control Carpet-1 3.5 (control) Nylon 66 Carpet-1 4.5 1.0 3 Nylon 66 Control Carpet-2 3.2 (control) Nylon 66 Carpet-2 4.5 1.3

Example 4: Nylon 66 Carpet

Nylon 66 BCF yarn with a nominal 997 denier, 115 filaments and a trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile nylon 66 “Control” Carpet and Nylon 66 Carpet of the present disclosure. The nylon 66 Control Carpet was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 tpi, heat setting twisted yarn in Superba at 265° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 38 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.65″. Nylon 66 Carpet of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 8.5 tpi and then tufting it into 5/64^(th) gauge, 38 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.65″. A plastic bag was placed around the package leaving an opening on the front for yarn exit. A hysteresis type tensioner was used to provide enough tension to remove snarls from the yarn. A similar degree of improvement, as observed in Examples 2-3, is expected for the Nylon 66 Carpet in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

Example 5: Nylon 66 Carpet

Nylon 66 BCF yarn with a nominal 996 denier, 226 filaments and a trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile nylon 66 “Control” Carpet and Nylon 66 Carpet of the present disclosure. The nylon 66 Control Carpet was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 tpi, heat setting twisted yarn in Superba at 265° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.625″. Nylon 66 Carpet of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 7.5 tpi and then tufting it into 1/16^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.625″. A plastic bag was placed around the package leaving an opening on the front for yarn exit. A hysteresis type tensioner was used to provide enough tension to remove snarls from the yarn. A similar degree of improvement, as observed in Examples 2-3, is expected for the Nylon 66 Carpet in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

Example 6: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Carpet

A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) BCF yarn with a nominal 1170 denier, 260 filaments and trilobal cross-section was converted into a standard cut pile PET “Control” Carpet and PET Carpet of the present disclosure. The PET Control Carpet was made by twisting two yarns together with 5.75 tpi, heat setting the twisted yarn in Superba at 290° F., and then tufting into ⅛^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height of 0.625″. PET Carpet of the present disclosure was made by twisting single yarn with 7.5 tpi and then tufting it into 1/16^(th) gauge, 45 Oz/sq. yd. carpet with pile height 0.625″. A similar degree of improvement, as observed in Example 1, is expected for the PET Carpet in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity, and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. To illustrate, a concentration range of “about 0.1% to about 5%” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited concentration of about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %, but also the individual concentrations (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., 0.5%, 1.1%, 2.2%, 3.3%, and 4.4%) within the indicated range. The term “about” can include ±1%, ±2%, ±3%, ±4%, ±5%, ±8%, or ±10%, of the numerical value(s) being modified. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’” includes “about ‘x’ to about ‘y’”. While the illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described with particularity, it will be understood that the disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments and that various other modifications will be apparent to and may be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims hereof be limited to the examples and descriptions set forth herein but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty which reside in the present disclosure, including all features which would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A carpet comprising single yarn twisted at a higher twist level than typically used stitched through a pre-constructed woven or nonwoven fabric backing to form a loop or a tuft.
 2. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn is twisted in the range of 1 to 15 turns per inch (tpi).
 3. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn is twisted in the range of 3 to 12 tpi.
 4. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn is twisted in the range of 5 to 10 tpi.
 5. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn is directly tufted into carpet without a yarn heat setting step.
 6. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn comprises any synthetic yarn material, any natural fiber yarn material or any combination thereof.
 7. The carpet of claim 1 wherein the single yarn comprises polyester, nylon and/or olefin and any combinations thereof.
 8. The carpet of claim 1 wherein denier of the single yarn ranges from 100 to
 10000. 9. A method for tufting a twisted single yarn without snarling, said method comprising controlling yarn tension as it unwinds from a yarn package on a creel via a tensioning device.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the tensioning device is set so that yarn tension coming off the package is in a range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier.
 11. The method of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the tensioning device comprises a tension band around the yarn package.
 12. A method for tufting a twisted single yarn without snarling, said method comprising subjecting the yarn right after unwinding from the package to tension in the range of 0.001 grams per denier to 0.3 grams per denier to remove snarls.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling yarn tension throughout the tufting process to avoid snarling. 